Strangers or Friends
by Sonya Ericson
Summary: Cara, a phangirl, wakes up on a deserted island tied to Erik. Where are they? And why? First phic, R&R please.
1. In Which The Scene Is Set

**A/N: First fic (or phic, for that matter), so please be kind. I would love constructive criticism, but please don't flame me.**

**In Which The Scene Is Set**

Erik woke up. The first thing he noticed was his environment. He was on a beach, it was near dawn, and he was sitting against something warm. He could feel a cool breeze on his face. Where was his mask? It was missing! None of these factors were there when he had fallen asleep. The second thing he noticed was that he couldn't move. He looked at his arms and legs; though it was still dark, his yellow eyes could see clearly. His hands were bound together with a thick rope; so were his feet. He leaned forward and choked.

Cara woke up with the feeling that someone was choking her. She let out a strangled cry and heard a sharp intake of breath in return. She lifted her hands to her throat, and found that they were tied together. She started to panic.

Erik hear the cry and started. He was tied to a woman! _Why? What's going on?_ he thought. _Where is my mask?_

Both Cara and Erik began to struggle with their bonds, causing the rope around their necks to tighten. Suddenly, Erik realized that if they leaned towards each other, the rope would slacken.

"Hold still!" he said.

Cara heard the voice and stopped struggling immediately. There was just something in the way he spoke that made her obey him without question. And there was something familiar about his voice. _Where have I heard that voice before? I feel like I've heard it somewhere_ Cara thought.

And then the sun came up. The beach began to get brighter, and Cara saw something shiny in the sand by her feet.

"A knife! There's a knife right here!" she lurched forward to grab it and was choked by the rope. To help her reach the knife, Erik leaned backwards. Cara grabbed it and cut the ropes around her wrists and feet. Then she reached up and clumsily cut the rope that tied them together. She passed the knife over to Erik and rubbed her wrists and ankles to get the blood flowing again. She went to stand up and realized that she was stilled tied to him at the waist. Erik, who had gotten his own bonds off, severed the last tie between them. Cara lost her balance and fell over onto the sand. Erik stood and turned to help her up.

Cara looked up at him in the growing light. She saw a tall man dressed in expensive-looking old-fashioned clothes. She tilted her head back further and looked up at his face. And stared. The right side of his face was red and swollen and scarred. Even though he wasn't wearing his characteristic mask, Cara knew who he was instantly. No wonder she recognized the voice! _This can't be happening!_

"What's going on here?" he asked her.

Cara passed out.

XxXxXxX

Erik looked down at the girl lying crumpled in the sand at his feet. _Why did she faint like that? Oh, I'm not wearing my mask. _Erik swore. "Where is it?"

The girl moaned a little and Erik began to kneel to see if she was all right, but turned away. _I've scared her enough already._

Cara slowly regained consciousness. _Not a dream. Oh, please, don't let it be a dream._ A wave hit the beach near her head and covered her with spray. Cara started yelling. "It's not a dream! This is great! I'm stuck on a deserted island with Erik!"

Erik spun around and faced her, keeping his hand on his face. Cara was making sand angels for joy.

"How do you know my name?" he demanded. "Very few have that privilege, and I've never even seen you before."

Cara , still lying in the sand, grinned up at him and stuck her hand out. "That's a question I'm not gonna answer. Cara, short for Caraf, Welsh for "I love". American, Welsh descent. I'm sixteen. I love vanilla pudding and black olives on my pizza. What else do you want to know?"

Erik glared at her and pulled her to her feet. "Why were we tied together? What are we doing here?"

Cara shrugged, still grinning at him. "No idea, but I'm cool with it." She looked around. "Let's peruse the place, shall we? Let's see, ocean, check. Beach, check. Palm tree forest, check. This appears to be a thoroughly deserted island!" She looked over at Erik, who still had his hand to his face. "You don't have to do that, you know. I'm not gonna scream or anything."

"You fainted earlier," Erik pointed out.

"That was a faint of surprise and joy, Erik! I already knew what you looked like."

Still a bit skeptical, Erik reluctantly lowered his hand, but brought it up as soon as Cara gasped.

She glanced at him. "No, I wasn't gasping about your face. I thought I heard something." She picked up the knife that was lying in the sand and began running down the beach.

Erik sighed and started off after her. _I hope she doesn't drive me crazy._

XxXxXxX

Cara ran down the beach after the noise. It had sounded a little like... a voice, maybe? _Isn't this a deserted island? Who would be here?_ There it was again! Cara turned a bend in the beach and stopped dead in her tracks, staring. "Not possible!" She passed out. For the second time that day.

Erik saw her faint and got a little worried. _The sun hasn't been up long enough for her to get sunstroke. _He hurried toward Cara. And saw a man trying to untie himself from a palm tree. And then Cara woke up. And started yelling. For the second time that day.

"I cannot believe this! Both Erik AND Jack? On one island? How did I get this lucky?"

The man tied to the tree looked up. "Do I know you?"

At the same time, Erik asked, "Do you know him?"

Car stood up and brushed sand off herself. "How could I not recognize _Captain Jack Sparrow_?"

And with that, she cut the ropes tying him to the tree.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Erik or Jack Sparrow, but I do own that island.**

**Let's have a party!**

**So, what do you think? More soon.**


	2. In Which Coconuts May Prove Useful

**A/N: Hey, guess what! Any movie/book/song references that show up will be listed at the beginning of each following chapter, so include any references you find in your review. Who can find the most?**

**References from Chapter 1: Phantom of the Opera, Pirates of the Caribbean (these won't count in the reference game from now on; they are assumed)**

**2. In Which Coconuts May Prove Useful**

Captain Jack Sparrow rose unsteadily to his feet (when isn't he unsteady?), checked himself for his "effects" (his cutlass, pistol, belts, and compass) and his hat, and looked at Cara and Erik. Cara was staring from Jack to Erik and back again with a sort of dazed look on her face. Erik had his arms folded across his chest and was glaring at Jack and Cara. The silence was getting a little uncomfortable when Cara realized she hadn't been breathing. And that Erik was glaring at her. And that she was hungry.

THUMP!

All three people on the beach heard the noise coming from the stereotypical palm jungle and turned to peer into the trees. Jack drew his cutlass from his belt.

THUMP!

Erik bent down and picked up the rope that had tied the pirate to the tree, and, with a quick motion, turned it into a Punjab lasso.

THUMP THUMP!

Cara stood and listened. "Oh, duh! Chuck Noland! It's coconuts falling." As crazy as ever, she began to go into the trees. Jack stared after her and turned to speak to Erik.

"Do you have any idea-" Erik threw his lasso over Jack's head and began to tie him up.

"Just what I was about to ask you. Who are you and why do you know Mlle. Cara? What are we even doing here?"

Cara looked back over her shoulder and saw one of her favorite people choking the life out of her other favorite person.

She turned and ran back. "Erik! Stop! Please!" Erik turned and threw a rope around her as well. She struggled, but he was stronger than she was, and tied her up, too.

"What are you gonna do, kill us?" Cara asked angrily.

"What's going on here? Why won't anyone tell me? What are you hiding?" Erik yelled.

"We don't know anything, Erik," Cara said.

"Then why do you know his name? Or mine, for that matter? Answer my question!"

"Fine!" Cara yelled at Erik. "Just stop choking me!"

Erik loosened the rope around her throat.

"You're really gonna think I'm totally lying-"

"Never trust an honest person!" Jack put in.

"I'm holding the conch shell; don't interrupt me!" Cara said.

Both Erik and Jack stared at her blankly.

"No you're not." Erik pointed out the obvious. He was beginning to question her sanity.

Cara sighed. "Why doesn't anyone get literary jokes anymore? Never mind. The reason I know about you is... I was born in 1991. And we've invented movies. And Leroux wrote a book about you, Erik."

Now they were staring at her like she was crazy. (Look who's talking.)

Jack broke the silence by saying "That made no sense at all."

"Told you," Cara shot back. She was hot and hungry, not to mention tied up. _This isn't as fun as I expected. Erik's a brat!_ "Would you please untie us?"

Erik glared at her. "I don't believe I would have the patience to live with you roaming free."

"What say we just split up the island? We could all go our separate ways and no one would care, eh? What say you to that?"

_No! Not a good idea! _Cara thought. _I'd never see either of them!_ "Umm... I don't think that would be a very good idea. I have no idea how to survive alone on an island."

Erik reached down and untied Jack and Cara and coiled up the ropes. "All right, then. Monsieur Sparrow will stay with you. But leave me alone." He turned and walked into the forest.

Jack picked up a coconut from the beach and chucked it after Erik. The two heard a muffled thud and a yell from Erik.

Cara laughed. "Excellent shot, Maurice."

"What?"

"Never mind. Oh, shoot, here he comes!" She took off running down the beach with Jack hot on her heels.

**Boy, I write short chapters... Sorry. First time and all...**

**Review! Look for references within the chapter!**


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